Blogcritics Comments on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Comment by Cannonshop on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:44:45 EDT

Y'know, I'd almost say "Forget it." The semantic argument about "Guerilla" is a red herring. Every single thing you bring up, guys, that is a reason in your mind to view Chavez negatively, Zedd and Cindy see as POSITIVE TRAITS. he is, after all, a "radical" in the Radical Chic style. "Radicals" are held to a different standard, a double-standard, of behaviour. FARC is not a legitimate force of resistance to foreign occupation, it's a Gang with a Poltical Smokescreen, engaged in Kidnapping, strong-arming for Drug=Lords, Murder, and all those Revolutionary things (Extortion and keeping the Peasants producing for the Cartels among them.) Most important, Chavez hates the U.S., so he's a HERO to the American Left. (Most of whom would not survive in their Revolutionary Utopia.)

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:29:16 EDT

On a broader note, the apologetic nature of this thread for sworn enemies of the U.S. is disturbing. The sovereignty of a nation and freedom from foreign intervention is one of the most essential components of international law and political philosophy. Chavez's intervention in Colombia doesn't even come close to fullfilling any of the criteria for intervention detailed in any accepted political philosophy. If it's ok for Chavez to try and destabilize Colombia, I think we should invade Venezuela in response.

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:18:16 EDT

On the absurd argument over the connotations of guerilla.. I think you will find any high school history text-book in the country currently uses the word free of any negative connotations. Nor do any political science works I have read. Both fields are social sciences. I have never had the impression guerilla carries negative connotations. You're imagining it Zedd.

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:51:40 EDT

Dave, One of the key things about WW was that when they presented conservatives they treated them like human beings, not like abstracts of evil with a label slapped on them. In the real world the left is usually not that empathetic and just stereotypes instead of making any attempt to see things from the other point of view. Dave Loved the WW too. You hit it right on. Even though the politics of the show favored the democrats, both sides were legitimate actors with legitimate agendas. They just disagreed. It would be great if real life was like that too.

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:47:23 EDT

Cindy, M.A.S.H. the TV show is IMO the best sitcom ever created. I LOVE M.A.S.H.!!!! Especially the earlier episodes. Movie is good too.

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:46:58 EDT

Cindy, M.A.S.H. the TV show is IMO the best sitcom ever created. I LOVE M.A.S.H.!!!! Especially the earlier episodes. Movie is good too.

Comment by pleasexcuetheinterruption on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:46:47 EDT

Cindy, M.A.S.H. the TV show is IMO the best sitcom ever created. I LOVE M.A.S.H.!!!! Especially the earlier episodes. Movie is good too.

Comment by Zedd on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:47:50 EDT

Dave, Just say, "OH, I didn't know". That's all. It's getting uncomfortably embarrassing.

Comment by Dave Nalle on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:52:56 EDT

Well, I was raised by and around lefties, Troll. I imagine they thought the guerillas were the good guys most of the time. Given that 'guerilla' is a specific descriptive term which doesn't carry any denotative weight at all, it seems foolish to tack irrelevant connotations onto it. It's too good a word to waste that way. Dave

Comment by troll on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Wed, 14 May 2008 14:10:48 EDT

Dave says - I grew up in the US and elsewhere in the 60s and 70s and I don't remember guerilla ever being a lodaded term... it is always reassuring to find more evidence that Dave and I grew up in alternate realities together

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:22:41 EDT

Ah yes Clavos, Venezuelas many pacts with Argentina indeed. Lets not forget the "suitcase scandal"

Comment by Clavos on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:54:23 EDT

Franco, Venezuela and Argentina have had a number of joint projects going back through the years into the Kirchner (Nestor) administration in Argentina, so I'm not surprised that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner would continue the relationship. Unquestionably, the two countries consider each other "friendly," and have for years. The two have had pacts wherein Venezuela supplied fuel to Argentina in exchange for food; they had an agreement to jointly produce and market natural gas from fields in Venezuela, both are members of South America's trading bloc Mercosur, etc. All that said, I've never heard, until you brought it up, of a military-based relationship between the two before. Please keep us posted as you explore the issue.

Comment by Dave Nalle on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 23:57:33 EDT

Zedd, out of curiousity, do you ever admit that you're wrong? Depends on who is using the word SS. Again, people in the Social Sciences tend to shy away from the term now. Zedd, I taught college history for years. No one was shying away from using the term 'gurerilla warfare' in our department, and last I checked History is one of the social sciences. The negative connotation you keep talking about really does exist primarily in your head. Dave

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 23:56:18 EDT

This one has been going under the radar. Argentina's Defence Minister announced on Thursday a budget boost and promised a significant increase in the number of aircraft for the Air Force "The budget boost will represent a 54% increase over 2007, for training and for the recovery of Air Force equipment and material", said Defence minister Nilda Garré. She also revealed that Argentina together with "friendly countries" from the region was in the process of an ambitious initiative to recover Air Forces manufacturing capacity. Um......That nebulous reference to links with "friendly countries" is worrying. Is that a reference to Venezuela? The only world News News source I could find on this at Merco Press, Uruguay Found the heads up on Desicritics

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:04:17 EDT

Zedd, make a self help note to yourself on your "things to do today" list. Look in mirror and repeat 3 times......."I know it serves a purpose to completely demonize those that you don't agree with but doing so causes your views to be discounted because they are under considered."

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:52:10 EDT

#107 — Jimmy the Spiv "If only the US had acted as though it actually respected human rights throughout the world." IYO

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:47:55 EDT

GIVE THEM AN INCH & THEY'LL TAKE A MILE Never was this idiom more appropriate in this thread than then with you Zedd. I obliged you your attempt to get out of commenting and defending some of your previous accretions that many in this thread asked you to defend and you would not. I obliged your wishes for me to skip over your defending them as I thought it would make you more comfortable in openning up this dissection on a rational footing. I obliged your request for me to begin opening up this platform, which I did. Then low and behold, instead of your meeting me half way you respond with spin, side step, sputter sputter, fart, ad homineman, and denial as if saying, ah that aut to work for me. If you want to pretend you can't put 2 and 2 together that's your call, but then by your own call the obliging party is over and were back to square one. You say.....Now can you give me something to chew on? Without misinterpreting your last comment as a pass, how about you're chewing on defending your own statement for us, which several have asked you to do. A statement you made, you framed, and you accreted as argument into this thread. Defend your following statement it in light of what Chavez is doing. "Trumping up charges and attacking a nation yourself, overthrowing the government and manipulating who is in power and how they rule, all with the plan of changing their culture to become like yours is wrong". Can you chew defensively on that for us? If you can't, which would also be your call, you have no credibility. So what's it going to be? We're waiting.....

Comment by Clavos on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:37:43 EDT

Oh, and BTW: I don't have to "demonize" him. He does that very well on his own. All I have to do is report it.

Comment by Clavos on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:23:55 EDT

He can care about the people but have a distorted view on how to create a society that benefits them. Or, he can simply be a thug who found a way to enrich himself and grab the power he craves by deceiving the people and using them to help him gain office. The evidence overwhelmingly points to the latter.

Comment by Zedd on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:46:42 EDT

Clavos, I know it serves a purpose to completely demonize those that you don't agree with but doing so causes your views to be discounted because they are under considered. Your comments are missing the layers that are always present when it comes to social phenomenon. He can care about the people but have a distorted view on how to create a society that benefits them. It's just that simple. Comprende?

Comment by Clavos on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:16:39 EDT

Chavez started caring about the people?? Really caring?? Beyond lip service? Bwahahahahahaha!! Good one, Zedd! Hehe...

Comment by Zedd on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:02:40 EDT

Franco, Does Bush care about people? Probably not as much as Chavez. Does he care about power? I think everyone who seeks high office does. Now can you give me something to chew on?

Comment by Zedd on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:57:39 EDT

Dave, On the term. You don't keep up with social issues, at least judging from your comments. You are totally oblivious to social issues. You only perk up after something has been discussed for generations and watered down, warped and disheveled. If it has something to do with money or some trumped up political football you are well versed (by then it is a none issue really) but you wouldn't have known that. You are clueless in this area. I don't think you value social issues (real ones not the Fox variety)

Comment by Jimmy the Spiv on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:55:32 EDT

"We must prevent human tragedy rather than run around trying to save ourselves after an event has already occurred. Unfortunately, history clearly shows that we arrive at catastrophe by failing to meet the situation, by failing to act when we should have acted." Eleanor must have seen 9/11 coming. If only the US had acted as though it actually respected human rights throughout the world.

Comment by Franco on Captured Computers Offer Glimpse Into Venezuelan Threat

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:06:53 EDT

The problems that exist in the Venezuela today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them. Eleanor Roosevelt said it 50 years ago; "We must prevent human tragedy rather than run around trying to save ourselves after an event has already occurred. Unfortunately, history clearly shows that we arrive at catastrophe by failing to meet the situation, by failing to act when we should have acted. The opportunity passes us by and the next disaster is always more difficult and compounded than the last one."